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Blog

There’s been a lot written about Monday’s solar eclipse, and for good reason — it’s an awe-inspiring phenomenon that hasn’t occurred in the lower 48 United States since 1979. During the day on Monday, the moon will align itself directly between the sun and Earth, totally blocking the sun along a path 70 miles wide and spanning 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina. All lower 48 states will see at least a 50 percent eclipse, so even if you’re not in the direct eclipse path, you’ll still get a show. The list of solar eclipse fun facts is endless, so instead of me telling you, here’s a great summary of what solar eclipses are all about and what you need to know for Monday. (Hint: don’t forget your eclipse sunglasses!)

For those of us on the Environment America clean energy team, the solar eclipse is a powerful reminder of the progress solar energy has made, and how much further we need to go. When the last solar eclipse occurred 38 years ago, solar panels were niche products, and electricity generated from the sun made up a negligible piece of our electrical grid.

Suffice to say, a lot has changed in 38 years — and the last decade in particular. Our latest report, Renewables on the Rise, details the stunning growth of solar from 2007–2016. A few highlights:

America produces about 43 times more solar energy today than ten years ago, enough to power more than five million average-sized American homes.

Distributed solar energy, which includes panels installed on homes and office buildings, increased 2,800 percent over that same time frame.

Where is all that extra solar energy going to go, you ask? Battery storage. As prices have plummeted over the last decade, battery storage capacity in the U.S. has grown 2,000 percent, and that trend is expected to continue. Instead of having to dip into a fossil fuel backup supply when the sun isn’t shining, whether it’s a rare eclipse or nighttime, we’ll be able to use clean energy.

Ultimately, we know we need to keep aiming for 100 percent renewable energy. That’ll certainly come with its challenges, as Monday’s rare eclipse event will give us a preview of, but it’s still 100 percent necessary — and we have to be up to the challenge.